Environmental activism group Greenpeace has downgraded Apple in its 18th annual Guide to Green Electronics. The slip to sixth place is blamed on a "lack of transparency" with several issues, namely "GHG [greenhouse gas] emission reporting, clean energy advocacy, further information on its [Apple's] management of toxic chemicals, and details on post-consumer recycled plastic use."

Although the company places better in the Guide than a number of other businesses, Greenpeace takes Apple to task for several other problems as well. "Apple receives half marks in Sustainable Operations. Apple does not score high on the e-waste criteria, losing points for lacking a robust take-back programme in India," Greenpeace writes. "However it continues to score points for its global take-back programme, reporting that 2010 global recycling exceeded its 70% goal (as a percentage of sales 7 years ago), a level that it is confident it will maintain through 2015. Together with HP, Apple is a top scorer for policies and practices regarding conflict minerals, but fails in developing a paper procurement policy banning suppliers involved in deforestation and illegal logging."

The top position in the Guide is held by Wipro, an Indian electronics firm. Immediately below it are HP, Nokia, Acer, and Dell. Some of the notable companies below Apple include Samsung (7th), Sony (8th), Lenovo (9th), and Research in Motion (16th).